W 10X45 vs HE 260 A
W 10X45 is an W section from the American AISC Shapes Database; HE 260 A is the closest equivalent in the European (Continental) range. HE 260 A carries more bending: 920 cm³ of plastic modulus against 899.65 cm³, 2.2% more. They weigh essentially the same, 67 kg/m and 68.2 kg/m. W 10X45 is deeper, 256.5 mm against 250 mm, which matters where the floor zone is tight.
| Property | W 10X45 W | HE 260 A HE | Difference |
|---|---|---|---|
| Mass | 67 kg/m | 68.2 kg/m | -1.8% |
| Depth | 256.5 mm | 250 mm | +2.6% |
| Width | 203.7 mm | 260 mm | -21.7% |
| Web thickness | 8.9 mm | 7.5 mm | +18.7% |
| Flange thickness | 15.7 mm | 12.5 mm | +25.6% |
| Area | 85.8 cm² | 86.8 cm² | -1.2% |
| Second moment, major (Iy) | 10,323 cm⁴ | 10,400 cm⁴ | -0.7% |
| Plastic modulus, major (Wpl,y) | 899.65 cm³ | 920 cm³ | -2.2% |
| Elastic modulus, major (Wel,y) | 804.6 cm³ | 836 cm³ | -3.8% |
| Second moment, minor (Iz) | 2,223 cm⁴ | 3,670 cm⁴ | -39.4% |
| Plastic modulus, minor (Wpl,z) | 332.66 cm³ | 430 cm³ | -22.6% |
| Radius of gyration, minor (iz) | 5.11 cm | 6.5 cm | -21.4% |
| Torsion constant (It) | 62.85 cm⁴ | 54.2 cm⁴ | +16.0% |
W 10X45 to AISC Shapes Database v16.0; HE 260 A to EN 10365 · Continental Steel. Difference is expressed relative to HE 260 A.
How to choose between them
On stiffness, HE 260 A has the larger second moment of area: 10,400 cm⁴ against 10,323 cm⁴, a difference of 0.7%. This matters more often than the strength comparison, because on normal floor spans deflection rather than bending capacity sets the beam size - so if the two are close on modulus but apart on inertia, the stiffer one is usually the better answer even when it is not the stronger one.
Measured as bending capacity per kilogram, the two are equally efficient (13.4 against 13.5 cm³ per kg/m), so on a pure steel-tonnage basis there is nothing to choose between them. The decision comes down to availability, connection detailing and what the rest of the frame uses.
The two diverge much more about the minor axis: HE 260 A has 430 cm³ of minor-axis plastic modulus against 332.66 cm³, 22.6% more. If the member sees any minor-axis bending, or if it is unrestrained over a long length and lateral-torsional buckling governs, that gap decides the comparison even though the major-axis numbers looked equivalent.
These come from different catalogues, so treat the swap as a design change rather than a like-for-like substitution. W sections are specified to AISC Shapes Database v16.0 and HE to EN 10365 · Continental Steel; the steel grades, tolerances and available lengths differ, connection details and bolt gauges are set out differently, and the two are rarely both stocked in the same market. Check availability before changing a section on a drawing to save a marginal amount of weight.
In short, HE 260 A is the stronger section and W 10X45 is the lighter one; where those are the same section, it is the clear choice, and where they are not, decide on whether your design is governed by capacity or by tonnage.